Another £1,625 claim for a garden table, chairs and parasol was rejected altogether. Several of Miss Kelly’s purchases were made in high-end department stores in London and delivered to her house in Bolton at a cost to taxpayers of £380.

In 2004, Miss Kelly was paid more than £13,000 for building and maintenance work at the house, which she bought with her husband Derek Gadd for £109,000 in 2001.

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In 2005, she claimed about £2,500 for painting, curtains, plumbing and other work. In the first four months of 2006, she claimed £15,363 for furnishings and appliances.

It included £3,579 for a sofa and chairs from the upmarket Bo concept, more than £2,000 for a 37?inch high-definition plasma television set and accessories, and £1,275 for an oak sideboard from Heal’s. It also included £530 for a dishwasher, £570 for a washing machine and £1,625 for a garden table, chairs and parasol.

A further £780 was spent on curtains and rails, £625 on a coffee table and £160 on a rug. Officials in the fees office deducted £6,388 from the total claim because some items were not allowed, some exceeded the maximum price and others were not accounted for on shop receipts. Over the following two years, Miss Kelly claimed: £1,511 for work on her patio and other repairs; £1,424 for building and redecoration work; £650 on a full set of kitchen equipment; £330 on Ikea bathroom and bedroom items; £450 on maintenance work and £300 on gardening. In total she has claimed almost £120,000 in second home expenses since 2001.

Invoices show that most of Miss Kelly’s purchases were made by her husband.

However, in July 2006, while she was communities secretary, Miss Kelly was drawn into discussions with fees office staff over her claims. She submitted handwritten notes in an attempt to have the claims processed correctly. She has said that she will stand down at the next election.

Miss Kelly said: “If a claim was not fully met, or refused in the case of garden furniture, I accepted the judgment of the fees office."